Song in the Silence, Knowledge of the Heart
by Vaneria Potter
Summary: Compainion piece to 'Children and Fellowships'. We know what was going on in Middle Earth, but what about back in our World. One-shot piece


Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Rings. That honour belongs to Professor Tolkien.

Summary: This is a companion piece to my Lord of the Rings story: Children and Fellowships. We know what is going on in Middle Earth, but what about back in our world?

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Song in the Silence, Knowledge of the Heart.**

- - - - - Sarah's Point Of View - - - - - - - - - -

I am sitting in a room in the hospital, the rest of my family around me as I stare at the figure on the bed. Next to us, another family watches over a second bed.

It is hard to believe that the pale figure on the bed is my twin. Natasha was always so full of life, her flame burning brighter than most. I find it difficult to liken her to the still young woman on the bed, her auburn hair a splash of colour, contrasting sharply with the white sheets and pillow.

They told us that a car crashed into the Childcare Centre where my sister works. Most of the children where at the other end of the centre, or had gotten out of the way in time. It seemed that Natasha had known that neither she, nor the three children with her, would escape.

When the rescue team dug them out, they found my twin crouched over protectively, Bella, Collum and Gretal held tight as she shielded them.

Gretal and Collum had woken up not long after the accident, but Natasha and Bella remained in a coma.

The driver was facing charges in court, though I have heard Alice and Bella's older brother muttering about what they would do to him, given the chance. Normally, at least one of our parents would have told them off for the language they were using, but I have heard them crying at night, and I think that they agree.

Aside from me, Dad is taking it the hardest.

When our parents separated, Natasha was the only one of us kids who didn't blame Dad for falling out of love with Mum and in love with Pat. She is also the one who spends the most time with him when he is in Australia, and makes a genuine effort to get along with Pat, Dad's girlfriend. Alice said that she was too forgiving, and that she shouldn't act like nothing happened. Natasha just brushed it off, saying that to forgive was better than to hate and at least our parents remained friends. Frankly, I think that Natasha had seen it coming for a while.

She says that she remembers Mum and Dad arguing about insignificant things like who left the fridge door open all the way back when we were five. They used to fight a lot, but now that they are separated, they get along just fine. Both of them are involved with someone else now and as long as everyone was happy, that was all that really mattered to her.

Dad being away a lot because Pat lives overseas was not very new. Since we were very little, Dad's job as a cryptographer meant that he had to go to a lot of conferences, many of them overseas. Alice and I used to complain about this, and the amount of time spent away from home, while Natasha took it all in with a quiet, loving acceptance. She was always the first one to greet him when he got home, and offer to help if he was suffering from jet lag. I think she was Dad's favourite, but she never made a big deal about it.

The thought that she might never wake up terrifies me. I really don't want to think about it.

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- - - - - - - - Gregor's Point Of View - - - - - - - - - - -_

I look down at my eldest child, marvelling at how different she seems now compared to how she usually is.

Natasha was always a strong and confident young woman, even if she was reluctant to let people into her heart. The child lying before me on the bed is vulnerable, and seems so very young. It is irrational, but I cannot help feeling guilty. If only I had not been overseas. If only I had gotten here sooner. If only, if only.

I will admit that I am closer to Natasha than my other daughters. It is a mix of several reasons, most of which she does simply because it is a part of her personality.

I am sure almost every parent in the world has said this, but I believe my first born to be one of the most beautiful people ever to grace the planet. Perhaps not by virtue of physical comeliness, but because of her inner flame and zest for life. She was my joy. When Alice yelled about Deb and I separating and claimed that I never paid attention to them, it was Natasha who hugged me then went and spoke with Alice about her words. When we broke the news about the separation, it was Natasha who saw that we had enough to deal with concerning her sisters, and removed herself downstairs until she could talk calmly. Not that she'd ever admit to throwing things about her room. Whatever happened, Natasha was almost always there to listen and offer to help. She had been knocked into a coma protecting three of the children she cared for. I was surprised that she had found her calling so early in life, only Seventeen when she started working at the centre, but I know that she has found something that makes her happy, something that she can devote her life to.

The idea that her life might be cut off so soon is more than I can bear.

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- - - - - - - Alice's Point Of View - - - - - - - - - -_

Emotions rage through me. Worry, forced hope, but most of all guilt.

Sarah and I had gotten into an argument the night before. I don't even remember what it was about. We had dragged Natasha into it, even though I knew that she hated being caught in the middle. It's what we have always done, it seems, even if it was unintentional.

Natasha finally got upset and left us, shutting herself in her room. She had to get up early for work in the morning, so we usually don't see her until she gets home afterwards. That morning had been no exception. I had not had the chance to apologize before she left and I would not get the chance to say any of the things that I wanted to. Not until she woke up, which became increasingly unlikely with every hour that passed.

I liked to pretend that I was the strong one out of the three of us, the Alpha of our generation, but it is just that: pretence.

Natasha was the one who stepped in when Sarah and I were getting out of control, who came when we needed her and offered to help if she could. It was Natasha who put aside what she was doing if we wanted to talk to her about anything or wanted to show something we had learned or made up.

When all was said and done, I was the loud child who would sooner yell and blame others than speak quietly and admit that I was frustrated and needed help.

It was Natasha's silent presence that kept us grounded. Even when I came into her room and borrowed her things without asking, she would allow me to borrow it or demand it back, but she almost never raised her voice, except for the time that she threatened to throw my new top in the garbage if I left it on my floor after borrowing something of hers and using her mirror to change.

She nearly did, and was in the process of opening the lid of the bin when I caught up to her.

Even as I sat there, one of my chief thoughts was how I should return the jeans that I had borrowed after she left that day.

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- - - - - - - Deborah's Point Of View. - - - - - - - - -_

I looked at my family, then back at my daughter.

She had never believed herself very important. She described herself as ordinary, and she liked it that way. Natasha did not want fame or recognition, she only wanted to do something she loved, rather than earn millions doing something she hated.

Before Natasha and Sarah, I had had a miscarriage. When Natasha and Sarah were born, they came three months early. Sarah was so small that she nearly didn't survive until her first birthday. They did survive though, and I loved them with every fibre of my being. I watched as my three children grew. Alice became an athlete, clever and strong, but with a violate temper. Sarah had learning difficulties, but managed to maintain her innocence, though she clashed with Alice on a regular basis. At first, Natasha was the vocal one, with a wide group of friends. As she aged, she grew quieter, more inclined to listen and think first, rather than blurt things out. She formed a close-knit group of friends, small, but very close. She learned patience, to an extent that I have seen few possess. When I could not be there, Natasha was the restraining influence on her sisters. She was the one who would wait up until 3:00 in the morning to let Alice in when she returned from a party. Natasha was the one who would talk to Sarah after she and Alice had had an argument, calming her twin but managing to avoid saying anything bad about Alice.

Natasha was the one who spent time with her father after we separated, while Sarah and Alice stayed close to me. Perhaps she saw how he felt about the decision, guilt for what Alice viewed as abandonment but knowing that if we stayed together things would only get worse.

I had always tried to be there for my children, even when Natasha seemed to need me less and less. At eighteen, she was nearly a woman, and behaved with a maturity lacked by some of the adults I have met.

Now I could do nothing but watch as my eldest child slipped further and further from the shores of life.

Natasha had a gift for expressing herself through writing and poetry. I think she would have liked that line.

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- - - - - - - 3rd person Point Of View - - - - - - - - - -_

Minutes turned to hours. Visitors came and went, having to resume at least part of their daily routine. Hours became days, days turned to weeks and as weeks slipped into months, two families waited for their daughters to wake, hoping for them to show signs of life from where they were.

Meanwhile, worlds away, a young woman held a little girl and they dreamed of home and family.

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A/N – OK, I know that it was a bit sappy, but I thought it would be interesting to see what was going on in our world at the time._******

This will make more sense if you read 'Children and Fellowships' but you don't have to.

Review and tell me what you think.

Nathalia


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